Farley Mowat 1921-2014

I want to join millions of others to mourn the loss of a Canadian icon.  The master storyteller cum animal lover, Farley Mowat, passed away five days before his 93th birthday in Ontario, Canada.

I did not make acquaintance with Mr. Mowat's great books until 2009.  Among the 14 or so books I read that year, six (see below) of them are penned by Mr. Mowat.

His early works on growing up in the Canadian prairie with his four-legged pal, Mutt, and two horned owls, Weep and Wol, mesmerized me.  The hilarious happenstance of his childhood made me yearn to relieve my growing-up years just like the young Farley did.

Among the many stories Mr. Mowat told on the harsh life the people in the Canadian north had to endure, there are at least two of them continued bringing chills to my bones.

One of them is an old Eskimo tradition.

Years ago, the people of the north would leave canoes snugged between the calm coves by the sea.  It is told that canoes outfitted with provisions were beached there for the departed as well as the stray explorers of the eerie and unpredictable sea.

Another poignant lore that Mr. Mowat told of the Canadian north is about a lifelong bond between a man and his pet wolf.  Amidst starvation and death, the man had to trade his best friend's lustrous coat for food and fuels to keep his family alive.

Through his many books, Mr. Mowat told us how difficult the life was in the Canadian north.  Canada's premier storyteller had also spoken out vehemently on the plights of the wildlife in the Canadian north.  In addition to his staunch stand against the seal hunt, his disgust on how a stranded whale was tortured to death off the Newfoundland coast had made him an outcast of the land he loved.

Thank you, Mr. Mowat!

-  Ayee

*
1.  "A Dog Who Wouldn't Be"
2   "Owls of the Family"
3.  "Tje Boat Who Wouldn't Float"
4.  "Bay of Spirit"
5.  "The OUtport People"
6.  "The Snow Walker"